Conventional vehicle inside door handles are susceptible to swinging open during a crash or violent maneuver. The heavier a handle is, the further away its center of gravity is from its pivot axis. The further away the center of gravity is from the pivot axis, the easier it is for the door handle to swing open during an impact. As door handles become larger and heavier, the possibility of the door handles swinging open during an impact increases. Thus, a need exists for a door handle that remains closed during an impact, despite the overall weight of the door handle.
Additionally, various vehicles include specifically designed interior door handles. For example, one automobile may have a first handle style, while another may have a different style. Typically, each different type of door handle is separately manufactured. That is, the first handle style is manufactured with a first mold, die, or the like, while a second style is manufactured with a second mold, die, or the like. Separately manufacturing each door handle with different tools increases manufacturing time and costs.
In-mold decorating is well known. However, it is generally known that inlays are bondable only to certain types of resins. In the past, in-molding door handles was not common practice because the resins necessary for bonding to the inlay were not strong enough with respect to vehicle door handle specifications.
Thus, a need exists for a system that includes components that may be universally used with all door handles. Further, a need exists for a strong door handle that may be decorative, yet robust and easy to manufacture.